- A Rivian owner bumped into a pillar in a parking garage, causing minor damage to his vehicle.
- He says that the accident turned his R1S into a brick that would not move no matter what he did.
- The incident highlights how modern cars limit control and complicate emergency situations.
Mistakes happen. But most of the time, a small mishap rarely renders an entire vehicle immovable. That, however, is exactly what one Rivian R1S owner claims happened in a parking garage. After what he describes as a minor bump into a pillar, his high-tech luxury SUV turned into a brick. On top of that, Rivian reportedly told him this wasn’t a malfunction, it was a “safety feature.” His only option was to spend big bucks on an expensive tow.
According to the R1S owner, the accident in the parking garage was so minor that it only cracked his tail light and scratched his bumper. Annoying, for sure, but hardly the kind of accident that should leave a vehicle stranded.
More: Can You Believe This Rivian R1T Damage Repair Cost $21,000?
He hasn’t shared the repair costs yet, which, as we’ve seen many times with Rivian models, can be stratospheric even for minor damages, but that’s not the main concern. The real question is: how does such a minor impact leave a car completely undriveable?
Nevertheless, that’s exactly what owner JCarlosLima claims on Reddit. Here’s how they described the ordeal:
“After inspecting the damage, I returned to find the car wouldn’t shift into any gear – Drive, Reverse, or Neutral. After attempting multiple system reboots, I called Rivian support only to learn this was apparently a ‘safety feature’, requiring the vehicle to be towed. What followed was a several-hour ordeal involving multiple tow trucks just to extract it from the low-clearance garage. Now I need yet another tow from my house to the shop.”
They bring up some great points. Is Rivian’s so-called “safety feature” really all that safe? Had this happened far off-road or in the middle of higher-speed traffic, the occupants might be in more danger than if they could at least limp the SUV to another location.
My Rivian R1S turned into an 8,000lb brick in my office garage – A cautionary tale
byu/jcarloslima inRivian
All of this serves as a stark reminder of just how incredibly complex modern vehicles have become. The days of having full, unrestricted control over your car—shifting into any gear or mode at will, even if it wasn’t the safest choice—are largely behind us. Today’s vehicles are increasingly governed by software, automation, and safety protocols that, while often beneficial, can sometimes backfire in unexpected ways.
In many cases, these restrictions make sense, preventing drivers from making potentially dangerous decisions. But in a situation like this, where a minor accident completely immobilizes the vehicle, having some kind of manual override seems like a reasonable expectation.
Carscoops has reached out to Rivian for clarification on exactly what mode or system was responsible for this shutdown. If we get a response, we’ll update you with what the company has to say.
